Transformable wagon-bed.



PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

A. R. STONEB.. TRANSFORMABLE vWAGON-BED. 1

APPLICATION FILED DBO.80. 1901.

,51 v2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented; April 1s, 1905;

ALBERT R. STONER,l OF THAYER, IOWA.

TRANSFORMABLE WAGON-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,704, dated April 18,-1905.

Application filed December 30, 1901I Serial No. 87,682.

To all whom, it may concern/f Beit known that I, ALBERT R. STONER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Thayer, in the county of Union and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transformable Wagon-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device of this class of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction in which a wagonbed of the ordinary kind is provided for common use, and attachments are provided that may be readily, quickly, and easily applied to the wagon-bed to adapt it for use as a stock-l rack, and this attachment may be readily and easily adjusted to position for use as a hay-- rack. Hence the wagon bed proper need never be detached from the wagon for the purpose of substituting' a hay-rack or stock-rack, as the bed may be adapted for these purposes by simply placing the detachable side pieces in position.

More particularly, itis my object to provide an extensible front of simple construction and improved means for firmly connecting it with the wagon-bed, so that it may serve also as a support to which the hinged sides may be attached when positioned for use as a stock-rack.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows in perspective a complete wagon-bed having the attachments applied thereto as in practical use,one side being shown in position for use as a stock-rack and the other in position for use as a hay-rack and the eX- tension at the front end being shown by dottedu lines in its elevated position. Fig. 2shows a transverse sectional view through the central portion of the wagon-bed with the attachments in position for use as ahay-rack. Fig. 3 shows a similar view looking toward the rear end of the wagon and with the attachments in position for use as a stock-raclnand Fig. Ashows a detail perspective view of one of the forward corners of the wagon-bed to illustrate my improved extensible front and the means for detachably securing vit to the wagon-bed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate the bottom of the .wagon-bed, which is preferably solid and is. supported on its under surface by means of the cross-piece 11, the ends of which project slightly beyond the sides of the vwagon-bed. At the edges of the bottom 10 are the solid side pieces 12 of ordinary construction, which side pieces are supported rigidly by means of the brackets 13, extended from the ends of the cross-piece 11 to the top of the side pieces 12 on the outside. At the forward end of the Wagon-box is a solid stationary front piece 1 4 of the same height i as the sides 12. The front ends of the sides 12 are held together by a rod 13u. At a slight distance from the front 111 on each of the side pieces 12 I have provided an upright strip 15 on the inner surface of the sides 12 for the purpose of supporting a detachable front, as

will hereinafter appear. Near the rear end of the side pieces 12 are two parallel uprights 16 adjacent to each other to receive an endgate, and at regular intervals apart on the inner surface of each of the side pieces 12 are the straps 17, having loops 18 at their upper ends, which loops project a slight distance above the tops of the side pieces 12. It is obvious that the device just described constitutes a wagon-bed that may be used in the ordinary manner, and the attachments will not in any way interfere with its use.

Assuming that it is desired to use the wagon for carrying live stock, I have provided an eX- tension-front for the wagon, comprising two uprights 19, .the lower ends of which are designed to fit between the front 14 and the strip 15, and connected with Vthese uprights 19 are the cross-pieces 20. These cross-pieces are preferably three in number, and the lower one is designed to stand directly above the front 14. Attached to the inner surface of the uprights 19 are the side pieces 21 of the extension-front. These side pieces 21 are pivotally connected at 22 to the uprights' 19, and a cross-piece 21.3 connects the free ends of the parts 21. A shoulder 24 is formed in each of the parts 21 and is so arranged and pro- IOO portioned that when the extension-front is swung to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 the said shoulder 24 will rest against and on top of the outer one of the cross-pieces 20, and thereby preventing the extensionfront from swinging forwardly beyond a vertical line. After said front is placed in position with the extension-front at its downward limit of movement the extension side piece may be connected with the sides 12. This eX- tension side piece comprises anumber of longitudinal strips 25, preferably three in number. These strips are bolted to the brackets 26, which brackets are arranged on the outer surfaces of the strips, and the lower ends of the brackets are inclined at 27 at about the angle shown in Fig. 3 for purposes hereinafter made clear.

Fixed to the inner surface of the lower strip 25 is a number of short bars 28, having their lower ends bent at right angles and rounded at 29 to provide journals that will enter the loops 18, and these journals are provided with openings to receive the pins 30. Hence in order to connect one of the extension side pieces with one of the side pieces 12 it is only necessary to pass all of the journals 29 through the loops 18 and then place the pins 3() in position, thereby pivotally supporting them. They are secured in an upright position by means of the spring-hooks 31 at the top of the eXtension-front, said hooks being arranged to overlap the top of the sides 12.

The rear ends of the extension sides may be supported in an upright position by means of the hooks 32 entering the staples 33 on the rear braces 26, said hooks being pivoted to the rear end-gate, as will hereinafter appear.

The central one of the strips 25 is provided near its rear end with the hinged portion 34, and to one end of the hinged portion is a second hinged portion 35. The free end of the part 35 is provided with openings to receive the bolts 36, and these bolts are passed through the openings 37 in the strips 25 when it is desired to have the hinged portions 34 and 35 lie flat and substantially parallel with the strips 25. When it is desired to have these portions 34 and 35 arched upwardly, as required to cover a wheel, the said bolts 36 are withdrawn from the openings 37 and placed in openings nearer the rear end of the central strip 25, thereby supporting the parts 311 and 35 in an arched position, as shown in Fig. 1, on the extension side piece adapted for use as a hay-rack.

The rear end-gate comprises two uprights 38, designed to enter between the strips 16 and having fixed thereto the cross-pieces 39, which cross-pieces are of such length as to engage the strips y25 when the extension side pieces are in their upright positions, and the hooks 32, before described, are pivoted to the uprights 38 in position where they may enter the staples 33.

When the deis placed in position and the hooks 32 made to enter the staple 33. Hence a firm and rigid stock-rack is provided. Assuming, further, that it is desired to adapt the device for use as a hay-rack, the operator first removes the rear end-gate. Then by releasing the hooks 31 the extension side pieces are per-` mitted to swing outwardly until the inclined ends 27 of the brackets 26 engage and rest upon the outer surfaces of the side pieces 12, which obviously will support the side pieces in position with their outer edges slightly higher than their inner edges, and this support will be quite iirm and strong on account of the brackets 26 and the braces 13 and the cross-piece 11. When the bolts 36 are revmoved, the hinged parts 311 and 35 are made to arch upwardly, and then the bolts 36 are passed through the end portions of the central strips 25 to thereby firmly secure said parts 34 and 35 in their arched position. This obviously provides a housing for the wagon-wheels. Then the extension-front 21` and 23 may be swung to its vertical position,` as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Therefore a simple, strong, and durable wagon is provided, which is firmly braced when in any position in which it may be placed, and the wagon-box proper need never be taken from the wagon, and in order to adapt it for either a live-stock rack or a hay-rack it is only necessary to place the extension sides and front in position, which may be readily and quickly done.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is*

A transformable stock and hay rack for wagons, comprising in combination, a wagonbed comprising bottom, sides and front, all permanently connected, a strip secured to the inner face of the front end portion of each side, said strips spaced apart from the end of the wagon-bed, a detachable extension-front comprising uprights designed to enter between said strips and the front of the wagonbed and to engage the inner surfaces of the sides of the wagon-bed and projected above the said sides, cross-strips fixed to the front edges of the uprights to hold them spaced apart, said cross-strips in vertical alinement with the front of the wagon-bed, ahinged top on the extension-front susceptible of hanging IOO members on the sides of the Wagon-bed and means for attaching the extension sides to the 10 extension-front.

ALBERT R. STONER.

Witnesses:

M. H. PHILLIPS, J H. COOPER. 

